A couple of weeks ago I wrote a post about using (and making) soft weights for a box making project. That text received some very nice comments and I have decided to follow-up with a bit of research: how to make the best soft weights?

Readers on Facebook and here shared their experience with using and making soft weights. More often those were weights filled with sand, lead shot or BBs. The other options included ceramic balls (used for cooking), gravel, pebbles.

Unfortunately I’m late to post this research today – I’ve bought lead shots and BBs several days ago, but for some other stuff I went to a store only today.

That’s why I want to ask you a fast question: what would you fill the soft weight with?

On my first try I have used what I found on my kitchen: rice and buckwheat seeds. My main concern is that some nasty bugs may like my new weights too much.

Now I have:

lead shots

steel copper coated BBs

rice/buckwheat

sand

salt

expanded clay (small and large)

I also want to try to mix some of these. For example, expanded clay is very lightweight, while the lead shots are quite heavy. A tiny box of lead shots weights 1,5 kg (3 pounds) and a soft weight of I size I planned to make would be too heavy. That’s why I want to mix sand with BBs and try some other options. I understand that salt can react with copper coating, but would do anything with lead. Maybe there are some other issues I should keep in mind.

Research begins on Monday! I have also bought several bricks to experiment with, you know, brick weights =)

Meanwhile, please share your ideas below =))

Oh, another new thing in my workshop is this treadle sewing machine previously owned by my mother-in-law. I want to continue with kippot next week =)

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Stepan is the owner and editor of iBookBinding.com since August 2015. He has been a bookbinder since 2006 and has taught hundreds of students since 2014. Recently Stepan spends more time crafting and 3d-printing bookbinding tools than making books.

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